Birth Date - 5/24/78
Education - B.S. Biology
Occupation - Composer/Performer
Quote - "Music can reach places that words cannot"
There have been a few times in my life where I`ve met a man whose music and personality were equally as magnetic. Meet Graeme Winder. He`s one of the luckiest men in the world. He`s truly blessed with an energetic, enigmatic presence along with the talent to compose music that caresses your soul.
"Concert in the Canyon" is Graeme Winder`s debut concert/benefit featuring his original compositions. This magical evening is scheduled for Nov. 11th, 2006 at Laguna Sound Studio located in Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Mr. Holland`s Opus Foundation as well as funding the production of Graeme`s second album which will be released in 2007. To purchase tickets and join in the official launch of Graeme`s professional career, check out www.graemewinder.com.
HIS PASSION
A: Hello G. How are you feeling about your first interview?
GW: I`m pretty excited thanks.
A: Let`s go back to when you were five. Describe the day you got your first piano.
GW: Hmm...I remember coming home from school one day and I saw this wooden thing in the main living room. I went over to it, lifted the lid, and started pressing a few keys. My mom walked over and asked if I wanted to learn to play. That`s how it all began.
A: You`ve been classically trained but prefer playing your own music. Do you remember your first composition?
GW: Yeah I do. One particularly hard day at school...I was 12 at the time... I came home and started plunking around on the piano. I found a little tune that I really liked. It stuck with me and eventually turned into a song. It was very simple but I remember how much it meant to me. I can still play every note to this day.
A: I can`t wait to hear it. Speaking of compositions, you`ll be performing your first concert featuring your original songs on November 11th, 2006. Tell me about "Concert in the Canyon."
GW: I still can`t believe it`s finally happening! "Concert in the Canyon" will be the official launch of my music career. It will be an amazing night of music, wine, friends and family. I can`t think of a better way to start off.
A: Your family is flying down from Colorado for your big event. What do they think about your passion?
GW: My family has truly been the one constant in my life. They have never questioned my decision to pursue music simply because they have seen how much it means to me. I`m sure I`ve caused my parents to wince a few times at my impulsiveness but I have always felt their support to follow my true calling.
A: This concert is your baby and you`re pretty much in charge of everything from the music to the advertising/promotion to the overall production of the event. What`s been the most awkward moment of being in charge?
GW: Haha that`s an easy one. This is the first performance where I play with other musicians, not just any musicians but trained professionals from the symphony and other high fields. I thought I was prepared with the music but I found out quickly that I was nowhere close to having the proper instrumentations written for the various parts. It`s been a great big learning curve and I`m humbled by the experience. Thankfully, everyone who is working with me knows that too and has been exceptionally patient with me.
A: Who have you collaborated with?
GW: Robert Schumitzky...the talented first chair violinist of the Orange County Pacific Symphony. Rock ... drummer from World Anthem. And let`s not forget you Aashna and your amazing vocal talents!
A: Thanks. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to perform with you. Just don`t make me cry! A tiny birdie told me that you`ll also be singing one of your songs for the first time. Is your heart pounding with excitement or is your stomach doing triple axels?
GW: Let`s lean towards the triple axel haha. I think it will be a good victory over one of my biggest fears. Wish me luck!
A: You don`t need it. You`re so passionate when you sing plus I`ve got your back. G, your music is beautiful and in my opinion it can seduce both women and men with equal ease. It`s both a gift and good karma. How would you describe your compositions?
GW: I would have to say that my compositions are truly an extension of myself. I pour myself into my music and people can feel that.
A: Is "Solace" a good indication of what to expect on your second album?
GW: Yes. I`ve now experienced collaborating with other top musicians and I`m hooked. This new album will have a variety of pieces ranging from solo piano to full band vocals. It`s got it all.
A: It sure does and I`ll be first in line to buy it. You`ve had the opportunity to compose soundtracks for Independent films. Imagine that your music is in your favorite film. What film and what scene?
GW: I would have to say the scene in "The Pianist" when Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrian Brody) is walking through the ruined ghettos now abandoned, and the camera pans out to take in the scope of the destruction. I was so moved that I went to the studio right after the movie and scored my own interpretation of that scene.
A: Who has inspired you most as a musician?
GW: I would have to say Yanni. I used to listen to his "Live at the Acropolis" CD almost every night as a kid. It was listening to him that I fell in love with piano and orchestra. Also, the way he put together such incredible productions was amazing to me.
A: Besides Yanni, who are you blown away by?
GW: I am just in awe whenever I watch a classical pianist perform on stage. They dedicate every moment of their lives to their craft and you can tell in the accuracy, precision, and technical savvy of each performer.
A: Do you ever feel that manufactured music is damaging the art?
GW: I don`t think so...I mean... life is all about balance. I think that if everything was a certain way then it would only dilute itself and lose that special quality that makes it so moving.
A: Being in the entertainment industry is a roller-coaster ride. One day it`s exhilarating and then the next day it`s tumultuous. How do you cope with the pressures and the instability of the biz?
GW: Well, the first thing I think you need to do is not to become attached to the biz. The "Business" is a process, not a judge. Only you can be the judge of yourself and if you believe what everyone thinks of you or your music...well then it`s gonna be a tough road.
HIS ROOTS
A: Lucky for you, your talent can stand on its own but it doesn`t hurt to have sultry eyes, a chiseled face and a six-pack. We`ll all have to thank your parents for that. Tell me about your ½ Maori and ½ Scottish roots.
GW: Well thanks! Yeah it`s an interesting combination. My dad is from New Zealand and my mom from Scotland. And somehow we all ended up here in the States. My dad tries to take credit for my looks but mom puts him in his place real quick hahaha.
A: You now live in one of the most beautiful towns on the planet...Laguna Beach. What was it like growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado?
GW: You`re right about Laguna Beach. This place and the people are amazing. But Colorado was incredible too. What I miss most are the seasons and the mountains. I`ve certainly been blessed.
A: I`m sure you miss your family quite a bit. What has been the best advice your parents have given you?
GW: The best advice was from my mom shortly before I came out here. She told me that there will be people who for some reason won`t like my music. And she said just because they don`t like it, doesn`t mean it isn`t good. And that has stuck with me to this day.
A: You`re making a living doing what you love most. What was your first job?
GW: My very first job was in High School. I worked at KFC. I don`t have too many memories of that place except for the cornbread...man that was good.
A: Yummy. I can understand attempting to major in Music but why Biology?
GW: Well Biology was definitely the more financially secure path and my mom had been a nurse her whole life. I grew up around the hospital and there were times when I wanted to be a doctor. It was shortly after I graduated that I discovered who I really was.
A: So, if you weren`t an artist, what would you be doing right now?
GW: I would most likely be a Pharmaceutical Rep. I was pursuing that shortly before I picked up and moved out here.
A: What has been the most rewarding experience in your life?
GW: The most rewarding so far has been the move out here. It was on a coin flip. Had the coin landed on tails, I would be in New York City right now trying to do the same thing. Although NY is an incredible place, I`m glad I ended up out here. Much warmer!
A: What has been the greatest challenge for you in the past twenty-eight years?
GW: I think it`s what most of us face in the early stages of our lives: figuring out what our true talents are and how we can make a living using them.
HIS MIND, HEART AND SOUL
A: You have a relaxed and warm demeanor so even though you`re diligent and persistent; it appears that you accomplish everything effortlessly. Describe a day in the life of Graeme Winder?
GW: Let`s see...finger-crunches in the morning. Just kidding but I try to hit the gym first thing. Then it`s music until lunchtime. Possible afternoon surf if the waves are good or down to Main Beach to play some b-ball. And then I usually teach in the early evening till dinner.
A: Humility is my favorite quality and you exude it through your graciousness and appreciation for people and life. What keeps you balanced?
GW: Definitely have to attribute that to my family and friends. They keep me grounded on a daily basis. It`s good for the soul.
A: In this business, you can keep working twenty-four hours a day. What do you do to feel peaceful?
GW: One of the many hobbies I`ve picked up out here is surfing. I love to surf. When I`m out there on the board I feel completely at peace.
A: Pianists have magical hands so perform one magic trick. What is it?
GW: I can do the slight-of-hand tricks pretty good. Hand me a twenty and I`ll show you lol.
A: Pretty impressive. Let`s go back to that six-pack. How do you stay healthy?
GW: I`m a huge fan of martial arts. It`s a great work-out for the body and the mind. I also try to hit the gym regularly but that`s always a battle.
A: Three words to describe you.
GW: Balanced, passionate, and let`s throw goofy in there too.
A: You`re just as weird as I am. Scary! What are you reading these days?
GW: Series by Terry Goodkind. His is an incredibly skilled story teller and there are great morals hidden in the pages.
A: What do you love most about life?
GW: People. This world would be a lonely place without people to love and care about.
A: What would you love to change?
GW: I would like to see more people follow their dreams rather than settling for security.
A: Any regrets?
GW: The way I see it, I love the person I`ve become and it took all the events in my life to happen exactly as they did for this person to emerge. So I will never have any regrets.
A: What has brought you to tears?
GW: Recently I found out that the mother of a close friend of mine was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has about 5 good years left. I hurt right alongside him.
A: I believe our souls live forever...so much more to say on that topic. Do you believe in a higher power?
GW: I absolutely believe in a higher power and I know this through my experiences. I feel very connected with God every moment I`m writing or creating music.
A: Let`s get a little mushy. Describe love using your favorite snack.
GW: lol umm... Love is like sour gummies... sometimes sweet sometimes sour.
A: Haaaaaaaaaaa! How would you describe women and what makes them so irresistible?
GW: The piano is very much like a woman. Sensual curves, hard body and a voice as sweet as an angel.
A: ...you forgot complicated...ha! Tell us about your first date...details please.
GW: O wow ok my first date was actually at a summer camp... and I don`t mean band camp (smirk). It was the last day and we had a dance. I really liked this girl named Mandy. She taught me how to slow dance... it was very awkward. I was 10 at the time.
A: Any celebrity crushes?
GW: Nope. I don`t see celebrities as any different as anyone else. But I appreciate the talent they have for their craft.
A: Graeme, you`re a guy`s guy who`s incredibly compassionate. What makes you melt?
GW: I think its children. I have a nephew and niece back in Colorado who could ask me for anything in the world and I would give it to them. I`m afraid of the day when I have my own...I`m going to be a big push-over.
A: What is the Graeme Winder philosophy?
GW: I try to follow my gut more than anything. It`s never let me down yet.
HIS FUTURE
A: What can we expect in 2007?
GW: In 2007 you can expect a professionally recorded album. Also look for more live performances. Aside from that, anything is possible.
A: Ten years from now, what will Graeme Winder be doing?
GW: I can see myself trying to balance the heavy demands of the music industry with the more important demands of raising a family.
A: Any advice for someone setting out on a career in the music business?
GW: Without sounding too cliché-ish... I would say definitely be your own number one fan. If you don`t believe in your music why should anyone else. Also, be prolific. All the great ones are prolific.
A: How can you be contacted?
GW: I can be reached on my website at www.graemewinder.com
A: Well, we`re almost at the end of your first interview. Any last words?
GW: Thank you for sharing your time with me Aashna. I look forward to doing this again.
A: This is just the beginning. Stay beautiful!!!
Aashna
www.aazin.com